Jasper thankful for old gym during rebuilding process

JASPER, Ind. - When Jasper's downtown 1939 Cabby O'Neill Gymnasium was saved from the wrecking ball a couple years ago by a determined group of volunteers after it sat idle for several years, no one dreamed it would so soon again become the primary gym of the Jasper High School Wildcats.

But then the unthinkable happened early one morning last May. The roof of the 34-year-old Jasper High School gym on St. Charles St. collapsed after an extended period of rain, and the structure had to be demolished.

Plans are now in motion to rebuild the gym, but in the meantime, Jasper's basketball, wrestling, and volleyball teams are hosting their contests at the renovated Cabby O'Neill Gym on 6th St.

According to superintendent Jerrill Vandeventer, the school has gathered input from administrators, coaches, and community partners for alterations to a recent proposed footprint of the new gym, and he said he believes they will have a plan before the school board at their Sept. 19 meeting.

"It's also encouraging that our insurance company has given permission for us to seek estimates for the last footprint presented to the board," Vandeventer said.

He said he is hopeful of having contractors selected by early November, with a "best case scenario" of construction starting on the new gym sometime in November.

If an estimated construction length of 18 months holds true, Vandeventer said he hopes the new facility is ready for the school's May 2013, graduation ceremony.

Current plans call for the new gym to have 4,900 seats. The old structure had 5,200.

The Wildcats' temporary home, the Cabby O'Neill Gymnasium, holds 2,700, but Vandeventer said "it's been a blessing to have that facility."

Andy Noblitt, Jasper athletic director, said if that gym wasn't available, all of Jasper's originally-scheduled home games would have been played on the road for the next two seasons.

"It would have been an athletic director's nightmare," said Noblitt. "The volunteers did a wonderful job of restoring the Cabby O'Neill Gym back to a useable facility."

The collapse of the gym roof last May also affected the adjacent high school cafeteria. Kitchen facilities were unable to be used the last month of school, forcing catered lunches to be served to students.

A temporary wall has since been built in the cafeteria, and kitchen service has been restored. With cafeteria space reduced because of the damage, the nearby Large Group Instruction room is now being used to serve meals to seniors.

Vandeventer said he is unsure if additional square footage will be added back to the cafeteria.